Thailands Traditional Ivory Carving

The "white elephant" (white only in some areas of the body) is sacred in Thailand. To classify it as sacred, an elephant should also be genteel in demeanor. If an elephant meets these criteria, it will belong by law to the King of Thailand.

Other elephants were very important in Thai life. They were used in war, transport, and work. The ban logging in 1989 left many elephants unemployed. However, their use to humankind did not cease. Today, both Asian and African elephants are near-extinction largely because the ivory trade

Together with habitat loss, these were the major causes of the steep decline. In 2001, Thailand was reported to have more than more than 88,000 worked ivory items for sale. These items were smuggled in from Africa, Myanmar and China.

Ivory carving in Thailand was done through hand tools such as saws, files, chisels, gauges, farmers, awls, and drills until the late 1970s. The need for mass production to meet a higher demand led ivory workshops to use electric tools such as ban saws, grinders, lathes, and buffers.
Buddhas, animals, and King Rama V are the three subjects done only by a skilled Thai master carver. Most Thai craftsmen, which include women, specialize in specific tasks or subject.

It should be noted though that versatility is an important characteristic of skilled carvers. In Thai ivory carving, the best raw ivory is used for the larger figurines, carved tusks and name seals.

The poorest ivory is for pendants, amulets, necklaces, and rosary beads; whereas the good ones are used for the bangles and carved bracelets.